Kazhdan's property (T), \(L^2\)-spectrum and isoperimetric inequalities for locally symmetric spaces (Q1409274)

Some new properties for general discrete subgroups (in particular for those of infinite co-volume) of a Lie group \(G\) satisfying Kazhdan's property \(( T) \) are obtained. A locally compact group \(G\) has property \((T)\) if any one of its unitary representations, containing almost invariant vectors, contains non-zero \(G\)-invariant vectors. The connected semisimple Lie groups have this property if and only if they have no simple factors locally isomorphic to the rank one groups \(SO(n,1)\) or \(SU(n,1)\). One considers a Riemannian locally symmetric space \(V=\Gamma \backslash G/K\) of non-positive sectional curvature and such that the isometry group \(G\) of its universal covering space has property \((T)\). \(\Gamma \) is a discrete torsion-free subgroup of \(G\) and \(K\) is the maximal compact subgroup of \(G\). Some isoperimetric inequalities for various locally symmetric spaces \(V\) are derived and the volume growth is estimated. It is shown that the locally spaces of finite volume are expanding while those with infinite volume are open at infinity. The lattices among discrete subgroups \(\Gamma \subset G\) are characterized in terms of critical exponents, the bottom of the \(L^{2}\)-spectrum of the Laplacian and the behaviour of the Brownian motion on \(V\). The author conjectures that parts of the results established hold for a more general class of groups and spaces.